A review of some habits that help improve sleep quality

 

According to Lisa M. Cannon, the importance and need for a good night’s sleep in everyone cannot be stressed enough. Sleep habits have direct effects on an individual’s mental and physical health, and even the quality of one’s life in general. Because of this, Lisa M. Cannon has taken it upon herself to come up with a series of blog to educate and inform readers everywhere of the finer points of getting some well-needed shut-eye.

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Below is a quick review of habits Lisa M. Cannon shares with patients with the goal of getting a good night’s sleep.

Sleep schedule

Sticking to a sleep schedule, meaning the same time for going to bed and waking up in the morning, is a basic yet essential step. Doing this helps regulate the body’s clock. It also goes a long way in helping the body fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Lisa M. Cannon mentions that it’s better if people stick to the schedule even during weekends.

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Light exposure

The light to which people are exposed to throughout the day affects their circadian rhythm. During the day, Lisa M. Cannon recommends people be exposed to bright light to increase their energy. In the evening however, she tells people to lessen their exposure to blue light, since it stimulates the brain into believing it is still day time.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon is a New Jersey-based physician. She specializes in pulmonology, internal medicine, sleep medicine, and critical care. For more updates from Dr. Lisa M. Cannon, visit this blog.

Everything you need to know to restore your sleep clock

 

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The circadian rhythm is described as the body’s internal process regulating the sleep-wake cycle, repeating on every rotation of the planet approximately every twenty-four hours. The body may not reach its best shape when the one’s sleep-wake cycle isn’t in its proper order. 

Rest is a weapon. Sleep quality is important in helping the body rest and recover from everything it has done during the day. Not everyone is able to sleep and wake up early for many different reasons. Dr. Lisa M. Cannon recommends banning blue light before bed in order to wind down properly. If possible, dim the lights and place devices far from the bed. Individuals who work at night may want to use blue-light blocking glasses as they head home during daytime so as to delude the mind that it’s nighttime. 

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Advanced and delayed sleep timing can ruin one’s sleep-wake cycle. Practice hitting the sack and waking up at the same time each day to improve sleeping habit. It matters to commit to the sleep-wake schedule, which means eliminating stimulants that can hinder sleep such as caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Avoid going to bed with a full stomach as this can overwork the digestive system which can lead to interrupted sleep.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon mentions that skipping naps can help restore a person’s sleep clock. Naps can be tempting at any time of day, but if one makes it a goal to fall asleep fast at night, skipping the midday shuteye is the way to go.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon is a New Jersey-based physician. Her specializations include critical care, pulmonary medicine, and sleep medicine. For more updates from Dr. Lisa M. Cannon, head over to this page.

What is shift work disorder?

 

Sleeping for 6-8 hours each night is one of the components of a healthy life. However, some occupations have a non-traditional schedule. Those who work in the early morning, late at night, and rotating shifts can be at risk for shift work disorder. According to physician Dr. Lisa M. Cannon, an irregular sleep schedule may affect the body's circadian rhythm causing a person to have a light sleep during their supposed rest hours and excessively lethargic while at work. 

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Getting the right amount of sleep is important for the body's recovery. Not getting quality shuteye can lead to poor memory and lack of focus. It can also affect a person's moods and make them irritable or prone to depression. Dr. Lisa M. Cannon shares that those with shift work disorder are also prone to heart disease, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and ulcers.

If one can't avoid working shifts and odd hours, there are many ways to manage sleep disorders. Improving sleep hygiene, such as having a restful, quiet, and cool bedroom, blackout curtains, and consistent sleep hours, can train the body to fall asleep when it is supposed to be. However, changing the body's sleep habits might take time. This is why, according to Dr. Lisa M. Cannon, doctors don't immediately recommend sleep medication but first recommend a change in habits. People must first continue to train their bodies to have better sleep practices, even with their irregular hours at work. Aside from ensuring that a person gets the right amount of sleep, their routine before bedtime is also important. This is why sleep experts suggest living a healthy lifestyle by staying active, eating nutritious meals, managing stress, and getting the right amount of rest. 

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Dr. Lisa M. Cannon is a board-certified physician who has been practicing for more than 15 years. She graduated with a degree in medicine from New York Medical College and completed her pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine fellowship at the renowned Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. For more updates, visit this Twitter page.

Is there a way to get the most out of your sleep?

Sleep deprivation, while usual, is never healthy. The quality of a person's sleep affects their productivity. The eight-hour recommended rest is too elusive for many, especially when their personal, family and corporate duties come to play. Dr. Lisa M. Cannon shares on this blog how one can get the most out of their sleep.

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Napping may make or break a person's sleep cycle. It's normal to feel sluggish in the afternoon, particularly after a heavy lunch. One can use an afternoon nap to their advantage. Schedule the nap between 1 PM to 3 PM and lasting for less 30 minutes only. Taking a nap past 4 PM will have one feeling unproductive the whole day as their body is likely to go into a long cycle.

Think of regular exercise as an ally to set up the body for better sleep quality. A few hours before hitting the sack, do some intense workouts. When a person is tired out, their mind goes into deep cycles quickly, which gives enough time for the deep cycle. Longer deep cycle provides better quality of sleep. Around 6 PM is the best time for an intense workout.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon reckons that waking up at the same time every day is important in getting the most out of one's sleep. The body craves consistency. Even after a late night at work, set the alarm to its usual time to achieve consistency, getting as many undisturbed cycles as achievable, and taking naps in the middle of the day instead.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon earned her medical degree from New York College of Medicine and her fellowship in pulmonary disease, critical care, and sleep medicine from Mount Sinai Hospital. Learn more from Dr. Cannon by heading over to this page.

Clean Sleep: More Than Falling Into Deep Slumber

The quality of an adult person’s sleep may not always be good. Having disrupted or a few hours of sleep can affect health and productivity. These days, people are jumping into a health trend called “clean sleeping” where the goal is to have uninterrupted 8-10 hours of sleep.

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But what is clean sleeping all about? It is not just about falling asleep and waking up at the right time. It is also about having the right habits during the day that will facilitate uninterrupted slumber. Some of these habits include having a hearty breakfast before work, morning exercise, drinking the right amount of water, and consuming less caffeine. Some studies suggest that getting these tasks out of the way hours before bedtime will lead to clean sleep.

Sleeping clean is more than falling into deep slumber. Part of this practice also involves sleeping before midnight. Going to bed at 10:30 PM helps the body reach the crucial 90-minute stretch in order to reach rejuvenating levels during sleep that usually happen in the wee hours of the morning.

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Short, disrupted, or light sleep might be some of the causes for the body not to reach its peak recovery levels. The day’s activity and the body’s reaction to it can affect rest. This is why it is important to prepare the whole day to get quality shuteye. The practice of clean sleeping involves a holistic change of activities and health habits. From sunrise to sundown, it encourages a person to be conscious of how the body should be treated.

Dr Lisa Marie Cannon is an internist specializing in pulmonology, internal medicine, sleep medicine, and critical care. Visit this page for more information.

How To Deal With Sleepwalking

Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism or noctambulism, is a sleep disorder that affects an estimated 1.5 percent of adults. It is a bit more prevalent in children, among whom there is an incidence rate of five percent.

It typically occurs during the slow-wave sleep stage, or during the first third of the sleep, and causes the sleepwalker to act as if he is in a state of full consciousness for as short as 30 seconds or as long as 30 minutes. However, he would have little or no memory of what had happened.

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What the sleepwalker does are usually harmless, repeated activities such as walking to other rooms or even just sitting on the bed. However, there have been reports of dangerous behaviors, including cooking, violent actions, and driving, resulting in injuries to the sleepwalker or other people.

There is no clinically proven psychological or pharmacological intervention that can effectively stop the occurrence of sleepwalking.

However, there are different ways of minimizing sleepwalking incidences, such as increasing the length of sleep to achieve the right amount of deep sleep, avoiding possible triggers like fatigue, alcohol, and some medications, and creating a relaxing routine before turning in.

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Sleepwalking is also usually outgrown over time, so there is no need to worry about it. But if it persists, consulting a sleep specialist or physician is recommended to check for the possibility of underlying illnesses.

New Jersey-based physician Lisa Marie Cannon earned her degree in medicine from New York City College and her fellowship in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine from the renowned Mount Sinai Hospital. Read more about her medical expertise by visiting this blog.